


Daydreamer

by MsUwU



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Bad Poetry, F/M, Fluff, Literary References & Allusions, Modern Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, Romance, Teacher Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-30 12:37:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19853335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsUwU/pseuds/MsUwU
Summary: You start your first day of your last year of college with a class you were dreading, Romance in Literature.  Maybe it was because you hadn't had much luck in the love department. Well, even that's being generous.  As classes continue, will Professor Levi Ackerman start to change your mind on the subject entirely?





	1. Chapter One

As you find yourself walking to your next class at the start of the new semester dragging your feet. You wonder why  _ the fuck  _ did this course have to be a requirement for your English Lit degree. Romance in Literature?  _ Barf _ . While you didn't mind romance as a  _ part _ of a story, you were not about novels where women turn to mush while pining over shitty men.   


That being said, you're probably pretty naive regarding matters of the heart. You grew up fairly isolated in a small town, went to a small school with small minded people who you didn't care to get to know. You spent your time with your nose in a book until you graduated high school and moved to the nearest city for college.   


You’re currently beginning your last year of a four year degree. Your antisocial behavior coupled with the fact that you're an introvert held you back from making meaningful friendships, let alone dating. You'd only been kissed  _ once  _ and it was in third grade, so it hardly counted that fucking Aaron Peters stole your first kiss from you as a dare.   


You reach the classroom and with being the first to arrive you get your choice of seat and take a seat in the back row by the window. This one actually had a pretty nice view of the campus garden, so you were pleased about that, letting a small smile slip onto your lips as you prop your elbow on the desk, resting your chin in your hands.   


You hadn't noticed others had filed into the class, over the years tuning people out became a skill you excelled at. 

“Oi, brat. Stop daydreaming and pay attention, class is starting.” A cold voice states from above you, shocking you out of your trance. “Sorry.” You mumble without making eye contact, hearing a few snickers from the other students in the room.   


He walks away and starts by writing his name on the whiteboard, Professor Levi Ackerman. 

It's only now that you take a good look at the man, immediately causing your cheeks to flush with embarrassment as your first thought was  _ 'holy fuck is he hot’ _ . Why did you have to get an attractive male teacher? Why couldn't he be old, fat, and bald like the rest?

You glance around at the class while he's talking and notice it's all females, making you narrow your eyes at the man. Why is  _ he  _ teaching a romance lit course? You were convinced there was an ulterior motive at play somewhere, but figured you'd see how things played out in class before solidifying your suspicions of him teaching a course like this to try and seduce young women. You did like to consider yourself a reasonable woman so it'd be only fair to judge him based on his actions rather than your impression.   


Professor Ackerman holds up a worn copy of Jane Eyre, “This is the first novel you will be reading. I'm assigning chapters one through four to be read before tomorrow's class along with the assignment being handing out. The rest of the class you can use to read.” He states with stoic features.   


“Oi, Daydreamer. Hand out these books and assignments.” His eyes snap to yours like magnets, you are caught off guard but you can't seem to look away from the stormy eyes that have captured yours. That is until another student clears her throat and the entire class stares at you and stifles their giggles. You scurry over to Professor Ackerman's desk and distribute the materials as requested, keeping your eyes down so as not to become entranced once again. You curse yourself internally, it is so unlike you to become flustered just because of an attractive man.   


You couldn't describe the pull you felt when your eyes meet his. You felt frozen in time, yet painfully aware of the seconds passing. You felt every breath you took, every beat of your heart, and heard the blood pumping through your veins. You shook your head as if trying to shake the thoughts out and sat back down at your desk, book in hand.   


You were rather surprised at how dark it was, a promising start that hopefully the character wouldn't be the typical manic-pixie-dream-girl romance novels seem to gravitate towards.   


\--

It was now an hour past the time class had ended and you still hadn't noticed. Levi kept glancing up from time to time, curiously watching as you devoured the book without pause. He had never had a student so engrossed in a book that they didn't realize class was over, let alone anyone stay  _ this  _ long afterwards. His lips pulled up in a smirk as he lifted an eyebrow while studying you, his gaze softening as his eyes travel across your pleasant features.   


Levi rose from chair and walked over to your desk, taking a seat in the chair beside you before clearing his throat and startling you so much that you left chair starts tipping over and you wince, anticipating the impact. The pain never came as you felt yourself being propped back up thanks to his fast reflexes.   


“Thank you.” You smile as you breathe a breath of relief. You still haven't dared look him in the eye since earlier though, and to say it was pissing him off was an understatement. 

“Class ended almost two hours ago, Daydreamer.” He states, your eyes widen. 

“Well, shit.” You say with a bit of a laugh before continuing, “Sorry to be a bother, I'll get out of your hair.”   


“I wouldn't call someone silently reading a bother, but now that I have to leave, so do you.” He says plainly.   


“Right. Sorry.” You say, turning around to grab your backpack and shoving your book and homework inside before sliding out of the seat and slinging it over your shoulder and walking out the door.

Levi stares at your seat with a furrowed brow, not understanding why he felt so hypnotized by you earlier. He sighed with frustration, annoyed with himself that he got caught up in the moment and a  _ student  _ had to interrupt to get your attention. Years of teaching and this has never been an issue. Why now?   


-

The rest of your day goes by in a blur, you go back to your dorm and collapse onto your bed, clutching your book to your chest.  _ What the hell is wrong with me today? _ You question yourself just before an image of your professor materializes in your head, his piercing grey eyes still drawing you in. You sigh unconsciously while you dig through your bag to pull out your homework for his class. 


	2. Chapter Two

The morning passes painfully slow as you drag yourself around campus from boring class to boring class. You barely got any sleep last night as you stayed up reading after finishing your homework.   


Your hair was pulled up into a high ponytail that bounced from side to side as you walked to your next class, Romance in Literature. Further behind you in the hallway was Levi, he had caught a glimpse of your face before you turned the corner and he was already heading to the classroom anyway. He admired his view, you were wearing dark wash skinny jeans and sneakers with a form fitting black Queen band tee. His eyes wandered down your body and then back up, focusing on your swinging hair.   


By the time he had gotten to class, you had already set your assignment on his desk and we're sitting in your seat at the back of the class with your book open, reading. Levi sat as his desk and went over her assignment, smiling slightly as he read his response to a question about Jane's character.

_ “Jane is seen as a burden, an outcast, and a weakling. However in the moment where she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror, when she reflects back on how she came to be here, she shows incredible strength. It easier to mentally block out our pasts than to do as Jane did, look within herself and relive her past traumas.” _

As students file in they all pile their assignments on his desk. He looks through another few, hoping for some other insightful responses only to actually facepalm at one.   


“ _ Jane is an orphan, she shouldn't be sulking and fighting with her cousin, she's acting like a baby.” _

_ Who's brilliant masterpiece response is this?  _ Levi thinks as he checks the name on the assignment, Becky Summers.  _ Yeah, that sounds about right actually. _ He rolls his eyes and when he looked up, his eyes fall upon you. You absentmindedly played with the bottom of your ponytail, twisting and untwisting the ends as you read. Levi had noticed it looked like you had read almost half of the novel since yesterday and his lip twitched up into a slight smile.   


Levi clears his throat, gaining the attention of the class. Well, everyone except for you. His steel eyes focus in on you as he stalks over to your desk and clasps his hand on the spine of your book, closing it shut before turning back to the front of the class. “Who can tell me what the the symbolism of the Red Room is in Jane Eyre?” He asks.   


The room is silent so Levi chooses a poor unsuspecting girl in the middle of the class and points to her, “You.” 

“It symbolizes Janes anger?” She guesses, incorrectly of course leaving Levi to look about the class for another victim. He spots you roll your eyes at the girls answer and has to stop himself from smirking at your attitude. 

“Oi, Daydreamer. I saw that. What do you think it symbolizes?” You didn't miss a beat before responding in a slightly bored voice, “The Red Room symbolizes what Jane must overcome, but more specifically in the first few chapters it is depicted as the feeling of being trapped.”

Levi narrows his eyes slightly at you, trying to figure you out. After a moment he clicks his tongue, “The brats right. Write that down so you remember it.” He instructs. After embarrassing a few more students with other questions he assigns more chapters and another assignment, again leaving a fair amount of class time to read.   


The first thing you do when you're handed the assignment is complete it, you've already read those chapters so you might as well use class time wisely. Levi sits at his desk, tapping his red pen against the hard wood surface as he reads through and grades the rest of the insufferable assignments. An hour later class is over and everyone has filed out, except you of course, still engrossed in the pages of your book. Levi continues marking until he's finished them all before approaching you, noticing your finished assignment off to the side of your desk.   


He slides it off and starts marking it then and there, impressed again with your insight and overall grasp of the themes of the novel. Levi places both of your graded assignments right on top of your open book, causing you to glance up at him. You gaze meets his and once again you feel an unexplainable pull, tilting your head to the side just slightly in curiosity before snapping out of it. You rub the back of your neck self consciously with a slight grimace, “I did it again, didn't I? Sorry to be a bother, Professor.”   


He nods, sitting down backwards in the chair in front of you. “Are you always this unaware of your surroundings?” He asks, his usually cold voice came out with less bite than normal. You laugh awkwardly, “With a good book, yes. Otherwise no.”

Levi reaches out to grab the book from your hands, his fingers skim over yours and his soft touch leaves you with goosebumps that travel up your arms the the back of your neck. You pull your hands away and a pink blush spreads across your cheeks. Levi has an amused smirk as he notices even the tips of your ears turned pink with your blush. He checked to see how far you'd read and was impressed when he saw you were just starting chapter twenty three.   


He slides your bookmark off the desk and places it in the middle of the open pages before looking back up at you. “So you're enjoying the novel, then?”

You nod, “Surprisingly, yes.” He raises an eyebrow at you, “Surprisingly?”

You sigh and look down at your clasped hands on top of your desk. “Romances have never particularly interested me as a main plot point in a story.”

His eyes narrow in at you, but you hadn't noticed. You had however noticed the cold change in tone when he asked, “Then why are you taking a romance in lit course, idiot?”   


Being called an idiot by a teacher pissed you right off. Your eyes flickered up to his narrowed ones, “It's a requirement for my degree, _professor._ ” You spat before grabbing your bag off of the floor and leaving. He was still holding your copy of Jane Eyre but you were too annoyed to ask for it back, knowing any additional words that would come out of your mouth at the moment wouldn't have been nice ones.   


Levi sat there for a long moment, stunned. He looked down and remembered he had your book and his body moved before his brain, jogging into the hallway to find you. After twenty minutes of searching he walked into the courtyard to get some fresh air and stop to think for a second. That's when he saw the beautiful hair he had admired earlier, you were seated on a bench writing in a notebook.   


The raven haired man sat next to you and placed the book in the space between you. You look down at the novel and then glance up at him. “Thanks.” You say plainly, no smile, no laugh, nothing. You turn your attention back to your notebook, tilting it sideways further away from him, embarrassed that he might see what you're writing.   


He noticed the movement and it piqued his curiosity. “What are you writing?” He asks with a slightly teasing tone. You move it to your side, “Nothing that concerns you.”   


He hums in response. “Okay, well I just came to return your book, brat.” Levi stands up and walks around the bench, as he does so you exhale loudly and bring the notebook back to your lap. Unfortunately for you, Levi had anticipated this reaction and just circled back to read over your shoulder.   


He leans down and starts reading aloud, causing you to jump.   


_ “Like rain and storm _

_ Your eyes _

_ Thundered through  _

_ Awakening my soul.” _

You flip the book closed and cover your red as an apple face with it, mumbling curse words under your breath. Levi leans closer to whisper in your ear, “I thought you didn't like romance?”   


You remove the notebook from your face, turning your head ever so slightly to respond, “I said I didn't like romance as a main plot, I never said I didn't enjoy poetry.”   


Still not moving from his current position, he hums in response. His lips were practically resting against your ear, you could feel the vibration of his hum and it sent electricity shooting down your spine. Your mind clouded and you instantly forgave him for calling you an idiot earlier.   


“Who inspired it? ” He asks as he jumps over the top of the bench to sit next to you, his shoulders pressing against yours. He was now certain you had felt the same connection that he felt.

“No one.”

Levi rolls his eyes, “I highly doubt you had no one in mind when you wrote that.”

“Fine then, I did. It's just none of your business.”

He clicks his tongue, “Well you should spend more time with whoever it was if they're  _ awakening your soul _ .” He teases. You elbow him playfully, your still flushed face growing a darker red, once again reaching the tips of your ears. You bite your lip and look down, picking at invisible fluff on your jeans.   


Levi found this entire interaction extremely endearing, your blush warm enough to melt the ice that encased his heart.   


“It's good, by the way.”

You scoff, somehow gaining more confidence, “Of course it is.”

He chuckles, surprised by your response and once again, his body acts without his head. Levi leans in towards you and places a kiss on your cheek, lingering a second longer than necessary before he stands up and walks away. 

Your fingers lightly touch where Levi's lips once lingered as you watched him leave you a blushing mess. 


	3. Chapter Three

To say you were confused was an understatement. The next day felt like a dream as you made your way from class to class with your head in the clouds. Did Professor Levi really kiss you? If he did, he was just joking, right? Getting back at you for storming out of the classroom? Even if it wasn’t a joke, it’s not like you liked him or anything. Maybe you had some sort of chemistry, but that doesn’t mean you had feelings for him or vice versa…. At least you didn’t  _ think  _ you did.   


Levi had been up all night, switching between cursing himself for being stupid enough to kiss a student or thinking of you and that poem you wrote. He actually wrote it down when got back to his class so that he wouldn’t forget the words he knew he had inspired. Levi’s chest ached as he wished he could reach out and hold you, knowing even if you would let him, he couldn’t. At least not without losing the career he’d worked so hard for…   


When Levi had entered his classroom for Romance in Lit, he was surprised and a bit disappointed to see you weren’t there yet seeing as you’d been annoyingly early the past two classes. He hoped you hadn’t dropped the course because of what he’d said… or because of the kiss. He sits down at his desk and gets his lecture prepared for the day, looking up with the ghost of a smile on his lips when he heard footsteps approaching. His face fell when his eyes landed upon the strawberry blonde teacher, Petra. She had been trying to get his attention since last year, refusing to accept that he just wasn’t interested in her.   


“Levi, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes today.” She greets with a smile. He rolls his eyes, “What do you want, Petra?” She giggles, “Just wanted to visit my favorite professor since I don’t have a class this period.” She sits on the side of his desk and Levi was so annoyed he hadn’t noticed you walk in. You paused at the door when you saw her, your eyebrows knit together for half a second before you smoothed them out with your fingers, scurrying over to your desk to hide your face in your book. You couldn’t concentrate, but you held the book in front of your face anyway, not wanting Levi to see any emotion on your face, especially since you were feeling so... crushed.   


You glanced up at Petra, noting how beautiful she is. She runs her fingers through Levi’s hair and his eyes fall forward, finally landing on you and meeting your gaze. You quickly look away, sinking back into your chair and mentally cursing yourself for being stupid enough to think that he might have had any sort of non-teacher/student feelings towards you. Your face flushes as you pull your book back up in front of your face.   


Levi scowls at Petra, “Petra, you can’t just do whatever you want. I have a class now, get out.” 

She laughs and pats his head, “Oh Levi, you don’t need to be so harsh. I’ll let you prepare, I just wanted to see you.” She hops off his desk and leaves the room. All Levi can think is  _ Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.  _ He was about to walk over to you when more students started filtering in, keeping him at his desk to avoid any suspicions.   


Levi starts the class, this time not having to call you out of your reverie to gain your attention. Your notebook is open and your pen is poised on top of it, looking down at the blank page rather than at him. He feels a pang in his chest as you ignore him, but he pushes it aside as he asks the class about their insights on how Jane handles boarding school.   


Becky Summers freely offers her ignorant opinion, “ _ Jane’s boarding school is for orphans anyway, she should just be happy she’s getting an education.”  _ Once again he catches you rolling your eyes at the idiotic blonde. “Daydreamer. Enlighten us with your opinion.” Levi calls out to you.   


Your expression and voice are emotionless, which is unusual for you. “Jane befriends Helen and they lean on each other for the strength to carry on through the poor treatment of the teachers at the school, especially when Jane is ostracized and humiliated in front of her peers.”

He nods, “And when Helen dies?”

“When Helen dies Jane’s strength carries on in her memory.” You pause thoughtfully, saying the next part quietly, “She  _ endures.” _ Levi purses his lips, biting back the thoughts running through his head. It was obvious you were hurt, and worse than seeing you hurt was knowing that he caused it.   


He clears his throat, “Exactly. Read chapters 10-20 before the next class. There will be no assignment as we will be having a class discussion about it. Because of this, there are no excuses for not completing the assigned reading. You have the rest of the class, get to it.”   


Your notebook stays out as you don’t feel like pretending to read, so you write instead.

_ Like birds to the south _

_ Seeking shelter from the cold _

_ My wandering thoughts _

_ Ache for a warmth _

_ Nowhere to be found _

Levi glances up at you from his desk, he notices your soft expression and rises to his feet. He feels a few sets of eyes watch him but ignores it as he walks over to your desk to see what you’re writing. Before you realize what’s happening, he swipes the notebook from your desk and your eyes narrow at him in a glare. He quickly reads the poem and keeps his cool demeanor from cracking. “Class time was for reading not writing, brat.” He states, trying to keep the watchful students from suspecting anything. You drop the glare, refusing to show further emotion before replying plainly, “I’ve already done the assigned reading. However, I will use class time more wisely in the future, Professor.”   


He leaves you with the feeling of one hundred bricks sitting on his chest, your written words confirming the worst of his thoughts. The second the class is over, you’re the first out of the door. After every student has filed out of the class Levi bangs his head against his desk, cursing Petra. She needs to let it go and accept that he’s not into her. He agonizes for an hour over how he can explain to you that she means nothing to him, knowing that even if you did accept his words there was still the complicated nature of  _ your  _ relationship and what he wished could be.   


Levi wanders the courtyard hoping to find you still on campus. He finds the bench you were on yesterday and he takes a seat, frowning slightly at the empty space beside himself. He tilts his head all the way back, resting it against the wood of the bench and closing his eyes for a moment to compose himself. When he opens them and returns to a normal position, his eyes land on you. You were a few feet away, sitting against the trunk of a large tree with your book in one hand and clutching the roots of your hair in the other.   


As if in a trance, Levi gets up and drifts slowly towards you. As he gets closer he notices the streaks of tears down your cheeks and prays to every god he can think of at that moment that it’s because of the book and not because of him. You hadn’t noticed him until he sat down next to you and placed his hand softly on top of the one gripping your hair. Your gaze meets his and you quickly turn your head, releasing your hair and using that hand to clear your face.   


“Please tell me you’re crying because of the book.” His voice was soft as he studied your features. You nod, “Chapter twenty-six.” He hums, “Yeah, the wedding… and Bertha.” 

You sniffle and glance away, “Look (Y/n), I wanted to apologize for earlier. I-”

“You don’t need to apologize. The two of you look… good together.” You choose your words carefully. He clicks his tongue, “She won’t leave me alone. I couldn’t care less about Petra.” 

You turn your head in his direction, not daring to meet his eyes but not feeling the need to completely hide your face. “You don’t have to explain anything to me, Professor.”

“When we’re not in class, please call me by my name.” He says as he reaches up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. His gentle touch took your by surprise and your gaze finally lands on his, the storm within his grey eyes softened to a calmness you hadn’t seen before. 

“Okay.” You manage to squeeze the words out of your throat. Levi breaks his eyes away from yours, letting them flicker to your lips momentarily and then lay to rest at your hand in the grass. He slides his hand underneath yours, weaving his fingers with yours as he scoots closer. He takes the book from your hand and begins reading it aloud to you in an unexpectedly soothing tone. 


	4. Chapter Four

After having read two chapters to you, the sun started setting and a cool wind picked up. You were so content that you would've stayed there all night, listening to Levi read to you for hours upon hours. Levi pauses as he reaches chapter twenty-eight. He turns his head to look over at you, his soft gaze catching yours causes his lips to pull up in a gentle smile and your cheeks begin to flush. “Would you like to come out with me for dinner tonight?”   


Your eyes light up for a moment before falling down to the ground in front of you, furrowing your brow. Levi reaches over and lifts your chin with his thumb and forefinger to face him once again. “What's wrong?” He asks.   


“I'd very much like to go for dinner with you, Levi. However, I'm aware of the implications it may lead to as well…”

He sighs, letting his grip on your chin go but cupping your cheek with his hand instead. Levi was afraid he'd never get another chance to be this close to you or feel the softness of your skin so he fully intended on at least touching some part of you the entire time you were here next to him.   


“Like you had written about your soul feeling awakened, I have felt as if mine has finally found a kindred spirit. I'm not willing to let that go easily.” Levi's grey eyes study yours as if all the answers in the universe could be found within them. “But your job and career and repu-”

“One word from you will silence me forever on the subject. If you don't feel the same, let me know now.” His eyebrows knit together with worry that you aren't willing to fight for him. When you place your hand on top of the one he's holding your book in, he exhales with relief. “Then let's not worry right now about the details. We can do that another day.” You nod, “Okay.”

He smiles, “So, would you please accompany me to dinner?” You roll your eyes with a smile, “I'd be honored.” He stands and reaches a hand out to you, helping you up. You follow his lead as you both walk to his car, a black BMW, and he opens the passenger door for you. You thank him and he walks to his side, putting the car into drive and leaving the college behind.   


“Are you staying in the dorms on campus?” Levi asks, trying to get to know more about you. “Yeah. I grew up in a small town a few hours south of here, couldn't wait to get away from that hell hole.” He hums,“Small towns are the worst. Everyone knows everything about each other, no one gets any privacy… if you were a few hours south, I'm pretty sure there is another college closer... Why did you choose this one?”

“I had read good things about the English program here.” He nods as he pulls the car into the parking lot of a small family-run restaurant in a not so great area. You stepped out of the car as he did, falling into step beside him until you'd reached the doors.   


“Levi, what an unexpected surprise. And with a woman? A beautiful one at that?! What a day this is turning out to be!” The brown-haired woman grinned at you as she excitedly hugged him. “Oi shitty glasses, back off.” He growls, obviously annoyed. She laughed and grabbed two menus, leading you to a table.   


You gave him a sly smile, “Come here often?” 

He took a deep breath, “I know the idiots who own the place.” You were about to say something before the woman came back to the table, scooting into the booth beside you.   


“Hanji what the  _ fuck _ ?” Levi glares at her and she just shrugs it off and turns to you, holding out her hand for you to shake. “I'm Zoe, but you can call me Hanji like everyone else does.”

You smile and shake hands as you introduce yourself. “So how do you know shorty?” 

“Hanji, go stick your nose in someone else's business.” Levi chimes in, saving you from answering the question.   


“Levi~ it's been years since you've actually  _ been  _ with anyone, let alone dated! At least let me talk with her.” His eyes shot her the deadliest glare I've ever seen, it worked though as the peppy brunette immediately scurried away.   


You reach out and take his hand in yours, rubbing your thumb over the top soothingly. Levi glances down at your hands before then meeting your eyes. “If it makes you feel any better, I've never dated anyone.”

His eyes widen briefly with surprise and you pull your hand away, “Sorry, I know that's weird. I just thought you might feel more comfortable knowing something like that about me seeing as Hanji spilled the beans for you…I understand if it's an issue.”

He shakes his head and leans over to grab your hand once again, placing a soft kiss in the center of your palm. “It's a non-issue.” 

Your cheeks tint with a rosy blush as you smile slightly and begin looking over the menu, deciding on breakfast for dinner. When Hanji returns Levi orders for himself and then lets her know what you'd like.   


“Levi?” 

“Hmm?”

“Why do you choose to teach a romantic literature course?” His eyes flicker up to yours, “I had never felt attachments as they're portrayed in novels... until recently. I thought it was something I'd never have in real life, so I wanted to experience it in every other way.”

“Oh.” You manage to squeak out, your blush deepening slightly eliciting a smirk from Levi's lips. Hanji drops off your dinners, stopping to poke your rosy cheek, “(Y/n)~! You're  _ blushing _ ! Oh my god, you're so CUTE!” She teases excitedly, you smile politely at her as now your face feels like it's on fucking fire from how embarrassed you are. “Piss off, four eyes. Stop harassing my date.” Your eyes lock onto his after Levi called you his date. Not because you didn't think it  _ was  _ a date, but because neither of you had dared to say it aloud.   


After eating, the two of you return to Levi's car. He leans back against the seat and turns his head to rest his eyes upon you. Levi feels truly enamored, he'd never felt this kind of pull towards anyone before and while he wanted to court you properly, it took every ounce of self-restraint he had to keep his hands from wandering.   


“Can I stay with you awhile longer?” He asks, his soft gaze studies yours hopefully. You smile playfully as you respond, “I have lots of reading to do this evening. My romance lit professor is a real hard ass.” He clicks his tongue, “We both know you're ahead of the assigned reading, brat.”   


You lean your head against your seat, mimicking his position and let your eyes study the plains of his face. His strong jaw, his mysterious eyes, his defined lips… Levi's lip curls up to the side as he catches you staring at his mouth and he decides to tease you since you had just teased him.   


The raven-haired man slowly leans closer to you, so close that your noses are almost touching and you can feel his warm breath fan across your face. You sigh ever so slightly in anticipation of your first  _ real _ kiss. At the last possible moment, Levi pulls his head up and places the kiss on your forehead instead. You purse your lips in an effort to maintain your composure, closing your eyes not daring to let him see yours in the moment. He cups your cheek and gently caresses the soft skin with his thumb, tilting it to the side so he can softly kiss there as well, repeating the action on the other side.   


Your heart is beating so hard it feels as if it's going to burst out of your chest. You feel his warmth leave you and exhales as you slowly open your eyes, letting them rest upon Levi's sly smile. He turns forward and puts the car in drive, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road.

The sun has already set but the sky isn't pitch black yet, more like a dark navy blue with small sparkling flecks of diamonds. “It's been forever since I've actually looked at the stars.” Your voice comes out softer than you anticipated. Levi glances at you, a small smile dances upon his lips as he sees the wonder reflected in your eyes. 

A few minutes later you pull up to a large park. Levi offers you his hand you and take it, weaving your fingers between his. He leads you down a winding path and through a grassy field until reaching a large garden. Of course, it was dark so you couldn't revel in its true glory, but you can see the faint outlines of the flowers as their scent invades your senses. You couldn't help but smile and Levi couldn't help but watch you. He gently tugs you forward until you're both in a lush patch of grass and lays down, still refusing to let go of your hand. 

You follow suit, laying down in the grass with your free arm resting underneath your head. “Wow.” You breathe, amazed by the blanket of stars above you.   


Levi gives your hand a quick squeeze before letting it go, causing you to turn your head towards him. He wraps his arm around yours, pulling you closer to him before pointing out two stars within two different constellations.   


“This one is Altair.” He points out before pointing his finger further north to another, “and this one is Vega.” You hum, gazing up at the sky. Levi starts to explain to you the story of the two lovers from different walks of life who become separated by Vega’s mother, who creates a large river to keep them apart. “They share a final look at the edge of the river as they both weep, wishing they could be together. When her father sees their love, he creates a bridge of magpies that appears every year on the seventh night of the seventh moon, allowing them to reunite.”   


Levi glances down and notices a single tear escape your eye, traveling slowly down your cheek. He rolls onto his side to face you, leaning forward to capture your tear in his kiss. “I’m sorry.” You breathe out with a quiet laugh, “I just can’t help but imagine how that would’ve felt…” Levi caresses your cheek as he whispers, “How are you so perfect?” You chew on your bottom lip anxiously, feeling like he’s just humoring you. “Levi, I cried because of a myth.” You manage to roll your eyes at him with a slight smile, but he doesn’t pull his hand away, instead he just smiles gently. Levi lets his thumb travel down to your plump bottom lip, parting it gently as he feels the tender skin beneath his digit. Your breath hitches and he takes the opportunity to press his lips to yours in a delicate kiss.

You break the kiss after a long moment but refuse to open your eyes, wanting to commit every little detail about this evening to memory. Levi grows more concerned as seconds pass and you haven’t dared to look at him. “Are you okay?” He questions quietly, worry making his heartache within his chest. Your eyes flutter open and a content smile spreads across your face, “I’m more than okay.”


	5. Chapter Five

The next morning couldn't have passed by fast enough for you to see Levi. You couldn't concentrate in your other classes, you spent the entirety of them recalling the events of last night. The sound of his voice as he read to you, the feel of your hand within his and the warmth of his kiss were all thoughts clouding your mind. Not that you would have it any other way, of course.   


Levi felt similarly, his earlier classes he just assigned reading for the period. Not because he couldn't concentrate, but because he didn't  _ want  _ to. He wanted nothing more than to think about you and your sweet smile.   


You practically ran to his classroom as soon as the last period finished, pausing at the door to catch your breath and feel your hair to make sure it was in place. You opened the door and walked into the classroom. When Levi looked up from his desk and saw you, he stood up and moved to close the door again.   


He backed you up against the door and ran a hand through your hair, “Took you long enough.” He teased with a smirk. You sighed and jutted out your bottom lip in a pout. Levi leaned forward and nudged your nose softly with his before capturing your bottom lip in between his. As your body melted into his, he traced his tongue gently across the top of your bottom lip. You parted your lips slightly, allowing him more access which he was happy to take. His tongue pressed gently against yours for a moment before he broke from the kiss.   


“We shouldn't do this here.” You breathed. He nodded, “Can I see you after class?” You smiled softly, “I'd like that very much.” Levi gazed into your shining eyes and smiled before placing a kiss on your forehead and walking back over to his desk.   


The group discussion in class went off without a hitch, although there truly were some morons in your class, at least  _ you _ understood the book. It had you wondering how these people made it so far through college like this, though. Levi assigned more chapters to read and another assignment. He passed them out, leaving you the last one to get it. He placed your assignment on your desk while doing a quick check around to see if anyone was watching, which they weren't. He caressed your hand with his finger, gently trailing it up your arm, across your back, and back down the other arm as he walked around you to head back to his desk, sending a shiver down your spine and raising a blush to your cheeks.   


Your eyes followed him as he walked back to his desk and sat down, looking upward to meet your gaze. You bite down on your bottom lip, feeling a tightening in your chest and a warmth spread throughout your body.  _ How does he do this to me? _ You thought with a sigh as you worked on your assignment.   


When class ended Levi sat at his desk and waited until each student left before approaching you. “Is there anything you'd like to do this evening, Daydreamer?” He asks as he sits down at the desk in front of you, trying to restrain himself from reaching out to touch you.   


“I don't have anything in mind. I'm just happy I'll get to spend it with you, so whatever you prefer.” You respond, tucking a lock of hair behind your ear. His lips curl up in a slight smile, “I have an idea but I need some time to prepare. Let's meet in the courtyard at six sharp.”   


You raise an eyebrow questioningly and he clicks his tongue, “You'll see soon enough.”

“Okay, six o'clock it is.” You confirm, rising from your seat. As you walk past him he grabs hold of your wrist before sliding his hand underneath yours and bringing it to his lips to kiss your knuckles. “Don't be late.” He says quietly against your smooth skin. You run a hand gently through his soft black hair, “I wouldn't dream of it, Levi.”   


What neither of you had noticed, was a strawberry blonde had been standing in the doorway during this interaction, not close enough to hear what you were saying though. Petra was coming by to get some one on one time with Levi, but when she saw him kiss your hand her eyes filled with tears and she silently left the room.   


You get ready for your date, wanting to impress Levi. You slightly curl your hair and pick out your outfit; a navy blue circle skirt that rested just above your knee paired with a burgundy scoop neck blouse and black flats. You met up with Levi ten minutes before six, he was already waiting on the bench from the other day.   


“You’re early.” He states. You smile, “Of course. I’d never keep you waiting.” He sighs with a slight smile before standing up and leading you towards his car. “You look stunning.” A blush blooms across your cheeks and Levi longs to caress the skin it’s warmed. He drives you to the same park as last night and grabs a bag from the back of his car before walking with you through the trails. You reach the same garden from last night, but now the sun kisses the petals of each flower. “It’s so beautiful here.” You murmur. Levi places the bag down and starts rifling through it while you mosy around, admiring the wide array of flowers.   


A few minutes pass before your feel Levi slip his hand around yours, giving it a squeeze. “I didn’t know you liked flowers so much.” He notes. You hum, “Even as a little girl I was drawn to them.” He rubs his thumb against the soft skin of your hand, gently tugging you in his direction. “Come sit, my beautiful daydreamer.”

You bite your bottom lip shyly before following his lead, catching sight of the picnic he’s set up and the classic red and white checkered blanket layed out on the grass. “Aw, Levi~” You coo, squeezing his hand. “This is perfect, thank you.” You say before kissing his cheek. He sighs, “I hope you’re okay with PB&J, because I couldn’t think of anything else that could travel well.” Your smile turns into a grin, “I live in a dorm, Levi. This is the college student dinner, of course I’m okay with it.” You take a seat on the blanket and Levi sits across from you. He rubs the back of his neck, “I just want it to be... special for you.” You lean over and take his hand within yours, “As long as I’m with you, it will be.”   


You and Levi spend the next hour and a half talking about your pasts, your family, your favorite things and your pet peeves. The sun was almost finished setting, the warm orange glow of it no longer being reflected in your eyes. Levi stands up and offers you his hand, which you take. He starts packing things up until he notices your eyebrows slightly furrowed. “What’s wrong, (Y/n)?” He asks with worry lacing his tone. You turn your gaze to the grass beneath your feet, “I-I just don’t want to go home yet. I’m having a nice time with you.” 

Levi smirks at you, “Who said you were going home?” Your eyes flicker up to meet his and he chuckles, “We’re not going to  _ my _ home either, relax. I have another stop planned for us.” You let out a sigh of relief and he folds up the blanket. Your heart was racing from the idea of going to Levi’s home… of being intimate with him, your cheeks were burning fiercely. Levi weaves his fingers with yours, glancing at you he notices your face redder than he’s ever seen it. He pipes up, deciding to get you to spill the beans. “What’s on your mind?” You turn your head slightly, mentally cursing yourself for being so easily read. “Nothing.” You reply, a bit too quickly. He laughs, “Doesn’t seem like nothing. Out with it, brat.” You clear your throat, “I was just worrying.” 

“About…?” He leads. You sigh in defeat, “About intimacy.”   


He stops and places his hands on your shoulders, staring deeply into your eyes. “You don’t have to worry about any of that. We will never do anything you don’t want to do, and whatever you do want we will follow your pace. Okay?” You nod, thankful that he’s such a gentleman.   


“Now, let's get to that second location, shall we?” 


	6. Chapter Six

You step out of Levi's car and stare in awe at the bright string lights, live band, and crowd in front of you. You look over at him, “What is this?” His lips curl up slightly when he sees the sparkle in your eyes, “This town has one  _ dancing under the stars _ night every week for the entirety of autumn. I thought you might enjoy it.” Levi places your hand within his and your smile widens, “This is so cool!”   


You drag Levi towards the stage and into the crowd of dancing people. The two of you get a few smiles, as it's mostly older couples you assume because of the music selection, which was essentially a brass band, playing jazz and swing music.   


“Levi, do you know how to dance like this?” He nods and grips your hand, lifting it up just below your shoulder, and wraps his other around you, resting it on your mid-back.   


Levi leads you into the dance, gently pushing and pulling you along with the steps until you start getting the hang of it. You bite your lip as you concentrate, trying not to step on Levi's shoes. Levi spins you out and then pulls you back in, finding a huge grin sweeping across your face as you squeak in surprise.   


At this moment, Levi felt weightless. He had no worries in the world, he was too busy taking in the entirety of you. The warmth you radiate rivals only the sun and your smile was brighter than any star in the galaxy. Levi would give anything to hold onto this feeling, to hold onto you.   


After an hour or so Levi drives you back to campus. He turns the car off and you both sit there silently, neither wanting to let the evening end. You sigh as you unbuckle your seatbelt “I guess this is goodnight?”   


Levi unbuckled himself as well, turning in his seat to face you. He lifts a hand to tuck a few loose hairs behind your ear, letting his fingers brush over your cheek before pulling them away. His soft touch once again leaves you with a comforting warmth that flows through your body. You lean forward and place a kiss on Levi's cheek, your lips linger long enough for him to move his face to bring his lips to yours. You exhale shakily as you open your lips further, allowing the kiss to grow more passionate. 

Levi's hand finds its way to your hair, trying to get as close as possible to you. You rest a hand against his muscular chest, the feeling of his heartbeat is incredibly relaxing. Levi breaks from the kiss with short breaths but moves to place a kiss on your cheek and then your neck. You bite back a moan and you felt him smile against the soft skin of your neck. “Did that feel good?” He breathes into your ear, a shiver runs down your spine as he gently nibbles your earlobe. If your face wasn't already red from being flustered, it would've become that way after his comment. “Mhmm.” You reply as he continues. After a moment Levi pulls away and kisses your forehead.   


His lustful gaze reaches your hazy one and he smiles. “Can I see you again tomorrow?” You nod, “I'd like that.”   


-

On your way to Levi's class the next day you're cut off in the hallway by someone grabbing your wrist. You turn to look at the person and recognize her as the pretty woman from Levi's office the other day. Her grip on your wrist tightens and you look at her hand once more before meeting her eyes. “Uh, hi?” You manage to muster out. She narrows her eyes at you as she scans you up and down. “Stay away from Levi.” She says through gritted teeth. You raise an eyebrow at her, “Excuse me?”   


“Don't act stupid. I saw you two. Stay away from him or I'll get the dean involved.” She spits. You clear your throat, “You do realize I'm taking one of his classes? I can't exactly  _ not  _ go.”   


“Don't sass me you little brat. You don't talk to him, you don't touch him.  _ Nothing _ . He's mine.”

You rip your hand out of her grip and start walking away.  _ What the fuck was that? _ You wonder.  _ Is she going to get Levi fired? Because of me? No no no no. _ You cursed yourself mentally as you finish the familiar path to the classroom.   


You weren't the first person in there this time, Petra was sitting on his desk. She must've booked it here after her little ambush. She looked over at you and glared before turning back to Levi and running a hand through his hair. Levi pushed his chair back, “What the  _ fuck _ Petra?”   


Petra just giggled, “Sorry, it just looked so soft.” 

“You need to leave.” He orders. She sighs and gets up, placing a kiss on his cheek before walking out the door.   


Even if you hadn't been harassed by her in the hallway, seeing this still would've hurt. Your heart heaves in your chest and you didn't dare look at Levi, but he approached anyway. “(Y/n), you know it's nothing.” He says softly. You just shake your head with a sad smile, not even knowing what to say.   


Another student comes into the classroom and Levi huffs as he walks back to his desk. He furiously starts writing something on a piece of paper before handing it to you, pretending it was your last assignment.   


_ (Y/n), _

_ Please don't be upset.  _

_ You know how she is.   
_

_ I'm sorry. _   
  


You purse your lips, fighting back tears as you inhale deeply through your nose. You pull out your notebook and poise your pen on top of the page.   


Class passes by in a daze, you don't remember the assignment but it doesn't matter anyway. You feel so torn, so confused. You can't let Levi lose his job, not because of you. The way you felt about him though… you've only read about that in books. Every breath you take reminds you of Levi, every song you hear, every line you read.   


You leave his classroom as soon as it's over, leaving behind the short poem you had written during class on your desk. Levi's heart pumped wildly in his chest, the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach practically brought him to his knees as you dashed out of the room.   


He noticed the page on your desk and went to inspect it.   


_ What once could be _

_ Was nothing but a dream _

_ From a peaceful slumber _

_ Eyes flutter open _

_ Reality sets in _

His eyebrows knit together as he caresses the words lightly with his fingertips. Not willing to accept this as a loss of what the two of you share, Levi becomes enraged with Petra.  She can't keep acting this way. He makes his way to her classroom, pausing in the open doorway until she looks up with a smile and notices him. “Levi, what a pleasant surprise.”   


Levi clicks his tongue, “It's not a pleasant conversation I plan on having.” He narrows his eyes at her. She plays dumb, not wanting to reveal her cards. “What do you mean?”

“This needs to stop, Petra.”

“What does?”

Levi rolls his eyes, “The flirting, the touching, visiting be right before classes. You need to stop.”

She giggles and walks up from her desk towards him. “Oh Levi, you don't have to be so mean. I know you like the attention.” 

He glares at her, “No. I don't. It ends  _ now.” _

She puts her hand on his chest and Levi slaps it away. “Petra this is harassment, I will not hesitate involving the Dean if need be.” He states coldly.   


“Oh good. Then we can have a conversation about the student you're screwing as well. I'm sure he'd  _ love  _ to talk about that.”

Levi's eyes widened slightly with surprise momentarily before she laughed. “Don't even try to deny it, I'll get your little play thing expelled and have you out of a job before you know it.” She smirks at Levi's deathly glare.

“So what? You thought you could blackmail me into  _ dating you _ ? Do you see how fucked up that is?!” Petra shrugs her shoulders, “The heart wants what it wants, Levi. Think about it.” 

She slides past him and through the door, swaying her hips as she walks down the hallway leaving him not only in shock but shaking with rage. 


	7. Chapter Seven

After rushing out of the class you go straight to your down and collapse on your bed. All you wanted to do was cry but you couldn’t. You knew something would happen eventually but that didn’t make it hurt any less. The realization that you would have to continue seeing Levi every day until the course ended or drop it entirely and never see him again, came into your mind. Would you be able to handle being near him knowing what could have been? Knowing that although it’s been such a short time, that this is the man you love but can’t be with?   


You sigh and take your book out of your bag, propping yourself up enough with your pillows to be able to sit comfortably and read. You were fully drawn in, relating painfully to Jane as she leaves Rochester’s estate, one line, in particular, hitting far too close to home. ‘ _ I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself’  _ The novel continued to swallow you whole, devouring your mind and depriving you of sleep until you had finished it.   


It was three am by the time you’d gotten to sleep and you’d already told yourself you were taking a ‘mental health day’ away from your classes. You couldn’t bear to face Levi yet and seeing Petra would be even worse…

-

Levi spent the entirety of the evening pacing back and forth in his house, thinking out best and worst-case scenarios of what could happen. He eventually drove himself to the point of calling Hanji, knowing she would be up at this ungodly hour.   


“Levi?” She answers with concern lacing her voice. He sighs, “Four-eyes, I need your advice.” 

He could practically hear her smile from her end of the phone, “Girl troubles?”

“Something like that.” 

“Don’t think, just answer. Do you love her?” She asks bluntly. 

“Yes.” 

“Then whatever it is, choose love. Choose her. Everything else is just… details.” 

“Thanks, Hanji. You’re surprisingly good with advice.” 

“I know, right? Plus, I mean it was easy to say because I’ve seen how you are when you’re with her. You were like a love-struck puppy, holding hands and making googly eyes and-”

He hangs up the phone with an eye roll,  _ fucking Hanji.  _ Levi walks to his laptop and starts typing up an email to the dean about his immediate resignation, apologizing for the short notice saying something incredibly important has come up and he has no choice. After sending that off, Levi breathes for what feels like the first time all day, a huge weight being lifted off of his chest. Then, he begins to plan how to fix the rest of this situation.

\--

You wake up to a knock on your door, turning your head to look at the red numbers illuminated on your alarm clock reading eleven am. You groan and flop out of bed, not bothering to adjust your hair or clothes. You open the door, not to a person, but to ten vases full of beautiful blood-red roses.   


You glance around, looking to see if anyone was in the hall but there was no one in sight. A card in the center of one of the arrangements caught your eye and you picked it up.   


_ Each of my waking moments  _

_ Was spent dreaming about what _

_ I never knew could really exist _

_ Until you found me _

You scramble to pick up the next card, you feel your heartbeat in your throat as you try to suppress a sob.   


_ I am yours _

_ Like the sun needs the moon _

_ Like flowers crave the rain _

_ I am yours _

Poem after poem spread throughout nine of the bouquets, the tenth containing something different. A note.   


_ Beloved,  _

_ Please meet me at the bench where I first kissed you. 7 pm tonight. _

_ Levi _

\--

Levi, who has not slept since the night before last, pulls at the roots of his hair as he sits in Hanji's diner. The peppy brunette places a hot cup of tea on the table for her friend and slips into the seat opposite him. He sighs, picking up the teacup by the rim and taking a sip. “What if she doesn't show, Hanj?”

Levi looks down into the liquid, watching the steam rise. Her eyes soften for a moment, it's not often she sees anything other than anger from her friend. “She will, Levi.”

“How do you know?” His voice dripping with doubt. “I saw how she looked at you, there's no doubt in my mind that she is head over heels.”

His heart sinks once again with worry as he recalls you not being able to meet his eyes after Petra left… “Fucking Petra.” He mutters, narrowing his eyes.   


Not being able to sit around any longer, Levi goes for a drive in his car and mindlessly ends up at the park he took you to a few nights ago. He walks the familiar path, letting memories crash in front of his eyes like waves on a rock before they recede back into the depths of his mind.   


Levi sits in the same spot he sat with you, admiring the same flowers you had caressed before picking some of them out and arranging them in his hands. He curses himself silently, having nothing to tie them together with. The anxious man heads back to his car and onto campus. He sits at the bench, flowers in one hand and the other covering his eyes while he rubs his temples to soothe his worried thoughts.   


As you enter the courtyard, you can already see Levi waiting. Your eyebrows knit together slightly at his posture, reading it as very defeated as his head was in his hand. You feel a sharp pang in your chest before it becomes a gnawing feeling that spreads throughout your body.  _ Did he think I wouldn't come? _

Levi is so wrapped up in his own head that he doesn't notice you sit down beside him. You gently lift your hand to the one covering his eyes, letting your fingers caress the soft skin of the back of his hand as you pull it away from his face. His eyes widen as they rest upon yours, the depths of his grey orbs flickering with multiple different emotions. “Thank you for the flowers, they're beautiful.” Your quiet voice breaks the silence as a delicate smile graces your face.   


He sighs, holding out the fistful of flowers in his hand, “I'm glad. These ones are for you as well. They're fr-”

“From the garden at the park, how could I forget. There's little I don't remember about that night actually…” A light pink blush dusts your cheeks and for the first time today, Levi's lips curl up just slightly.   


“Levi, Petra had -”

“Please let me speak first if you don't mind?” He asks, his eyes glossing over a bit as he tries to hide his emotions. You nod. 

“Before I met you, it was as if I was only seeing the world in black and white. As my eyes met yours, everything became vibrant with shades I couldn't fathom until that moment.” Levi moves his hands to clasp one of yours within, squeezing it gently. 

“I once told you that you and I were kindred spirits and I believe that wholeheartedly, every moment I spend with you solidifies that.”

You squeeze his hand back, a small tear trailing down your cheek at his bittersweet words. Your heart feels as if it's being wrung out like a towel, knowing how deeply he feels and that the two of you couldn't make things work.

“So when Petra threatened me yesterday after class, I had to act.” You take in a deep breath and shakily let it out, waiting for him to tell you it's over.  _ “ _ It's okay, Levi. I understand. She threatened me too.”

His eyes show surprise, “What? When?” 

“As I was walking to your class yesterday. I was actually surprised she had gotten there before I did, considering I had walked away first.”   


Levi runs a hand through his hair, closing his eyes as he lets out a frustrated breath. His gaze meets yours once again, “I'm so sorry, (Y/n).”

“Me too.” You whisper. Levi opens his arms towards you and you crawl into his lap, letting your tears fall down your rosy cheeks and drip off of your chin. Levi kisses the top of your head and tightly wraps his arms around you, “I sent in my resignation last night and I was hoping you would like to pursue what we have.”   


You pull away to look into Levi's eyes, “You quit?” He nods. 

“But-”

“But nothing. I haven't ever felt about anyone the way I feel for you, (Y/n). In a week's time, you have captivated me beyond words, something I once thought would've been impossible.”

You sigh, “Levi, what if-”

“Do you care for me?” He questions with soft eyes.

“Yes.”

“Then the rest doesn't matter.”

“I just don't want you to regret anything…” You mumble, turning your head to look away.   


Levi caresses your cheek lightly, “I would always regret not exploring what we have to the fullest. Knowing you exist in the world and I can't be near you is torturous even when we're apart for only hours at a time.”

You wrap your arms around him, squeezing him tightly. “You're sure?” You whisper into his ear. 

“Yes, Daydreamer. I'm sure.”


End file.
